reggae

If P. Diddy can change his name and Willie Nelson can release a reggae album, why can't Snoop Dogg do both? The 40-year-old rapper formally announced today that he would be changing his name to Snoop Lion and abandoning rap to focus on reggae.

At a recent press conference, the newly-christened Snoop Lion described his life-changing visit to a Rastafarian temple while in Jamaica recording for his new album:

"I didn't know that until I went to the temple, where the High Priest asked me what my name was, and I said, 'Snoop Dogg.' And he looked me in my eyes and said, 'No more. You are the light; you are the lion.' From that moment on, it's like I had started to understand why I was there."

Snoop Dogg Lion is currently working on a reggae album titled "Reincarnated," which will be released alongside a documentary of the same name that will cover Snoop's recent career shift.